A painting stolen from an Italian museum is found in England, but its new owner wants to keep it

LONDON (AP) — A 16th-century painting stolen more than 50 years ago has been found — and is now at the center of a custody battle between a widow in England and a small Italian museum.

“Madonna and Child” by Antonio Solario was taken in 1973 from the civic museum in the town of Belluno in the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy. Sometime later it was bought by Baron de Dozsa and taken to his Tudor manor house in eastern England, according to Christopher Marinello, a lawyer who specializes in recovering stolen and looted artworks.

It is now in the possession of Barbara de Dozsa, the late baron’s ex-wife, though it remains on the database of stolen art maintained by the international police organization Interpol.

Marinello has vowed to return the painting to Belluno, where his family has roots.

“I have a family connection to this region, and I decided I was going to stick my 2 cents’ in and interfere,” said Marinello, whose company Art Recovery International has helped track down works by artists including Henri Matisse and Henry Moore and return them to their rightful owners.

But in this quest, he has so far been frustrated. Marinello said Tuesday that de Dozsa has declined to give up the painting, despite telling him “she never really liked it.”

“She doesn’t hang it – it reminds her of her ex-husband,” he said.

De Dozsa did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Marinello said the painting’s rediscovery began when Barbara de Dozsa tried to sell it through an auction house in England a few years ago, and it was recognized as a stolen artwork.

The local police force, Norfolk Constabulary, was called in but eventually returned the painting to de Dozsa.

The force told the AP it had been advised by U.K. judicial authorities to give the artwork back because “several years have passed and there has been no response from Italian authorities in relation to the investigation.”

Norfolk police said they are not currently investigating the case.

Paintings by Solario, who worked across Italy in the early 16th century, have sold at auction for several hundred thousand dollars. Marinello said the “Madonna and Child” is probably worth less than 100,000 pounds ($128,000).

“It’s not a Rembrandt,” he said, but added: “It has a value beyond its monetary value.

“Solario was from the area so it’s very important to the people of Belluno.”